Shreya Ghoshal, Sunidhi Chauhan, Benny Dayal, Vishal Dadlani& ClintonCerejocome together for a Special song “Mere Desh Ki Zameen”

A collaborative project between Dia Mirza, Sahil Sangha&Wildlife Trust of India to release India’s First WILD ANTHEM to celebrate and conserve our biodiversity

Dia Mirza and Sahil Sangha’s `Born Free Entertainment’ in partnership with the Wildlife Trust of India(WTI)has brought together some of India’s finest voices for a project titled ‘Mere Desh Ki Zameen’- India’s first WILD ANTHEM with the mission to conserve wildlife and its habitat in India.

The song is composed by Clinton Cerejo, lyrics by Prasoon Joshi and sung by Shreya Ghoshal, Sunidhi Chauhan, Benny Dayal, Vishal Dadlaniand Clinton Cerejo. The concept has been designed and produced by Born Free Entertainment.

The trackcelebrates India’s biodiversity by showcasing its very best; with the hope to instil an infallible sense of pride and true love for our natural bounty, one that we are blessed to have.

Speaking on the release, an elated Dia Mirza said, “‘This was my dream. To give India a Wild Anthem, a song that would be a celebration of all that is most incredible about our home, our land. I am so grateful to everyone who is a part of the anthem for coming forward and giving it nothing but love.”

Lyricist Prasoon Joshi says, “At times, we take the most important things in our life for granted and they almost merge in the everyday backdrop. We forget to count our blessings and feel the sense of gratitude for them. The same is true about our Wildlife and this anthem tries to strike that chord with all of us reminding us about how mother nature has bestowed her love upon us. Dia Mirza with her sensitivity and tenacity has taken a remarkable initiative towards the cause of Wild Life in India. My thoughts and words would have been incomplete without Clinton’s simple yet intricate composition. Working with this team and Born Free Entertainment has been a wonderful experience and I hope the cause resonates with many.”

Says Shreya Ghosal, “We are so blessed to be born in a country which has the most beautiful and magical wildlife in the entire world. The variety is simply incredible. They truly are wonders of nature and we must do everything in our capacity to protect them from any harm. For the first time ever, an anthem has been created to celebrate the amazing wildlife of India and watching the visuals in this video gives you goose bumps.  I was so thrilled to work on “Mere Desh Ki Zameen”. The passion that has gone in creating this song and the video is truly inspiring. Dia Mirza and Sahil Sangha have worked tirelessly to put it all together and bring the most amazing music makers Clinton Cerejo and Prasoon Joshi together to create this beautiful song. I am so happy to sing it along with the best in the music industry Sunidhi, Vishal, Benny and Clinton!! Thank you WTI and Born Free for making me a part of this initiative.”

Vishal Dadlani says, ‘"Sometimes it feels like humankind is losing out on the glory and splendour of the world around us, simply by being too self-involved. I'm really glad to be part of this project, that draws us into the beauty of the natural bounty that India is blessed with. Here's hoping that the message carries, and that people stop to listen, and grow to love, value and treasure nature and India's rich and diverse wildlife."

Sundhi Chauhan adds, “It gives me so much pride and joy to lend my voice to such a wonderful and important cause! As a new mother myself, I hope my child grows to witness the beauty and splendour of Wild India and an Incredible Planet. Working with Dia and Sahil, singing this song, which is so beautifully written by Prasoon Joshi along with Vishal, Shreya, Benny and Clinton will remain cherished memories forever.”

Benny Dayal says, “This is the most important initiative of today. To live harmoniously alongside the wildlife of our country is a necessity. This is not our space. It’s their space we are living in. Hence, we must respect their existence to the utmost.”

Says song composer Clinton Cerejo, “'I’m so thrilled to have had the opportunity to work with the Wildlife Trust of India and use my talent for a cause such as this. I often feel that as media professionals, our circle of influence is wide and far reaching and we don’t do enough, cause we’re always too wrapped up moving from one project to the next. I’ve had a long working relationship with Sahil and Dia for many years. And when they approached me to work on this I said yes without a moment’s hesitation as I’ve always loved being a part of their projects. When I met Vivek Menon at my studio I was genuinely blown with the man’s humility given the monumental impact he has had on wildlife in our country. He educated me so much in just one afternoon, that it completely changed my outlook towards our national heritage and made me so much more aware. I’m extremely happy to be a part of this great movement even in a small measure.”

Sahil Sangha of Born Free Entertainment says, “India’s natural beauty is rich and diverse. It must be celebrated preserved and nurtured by each one of us! I feel privileged to collaborate with such fine talents, and more importantly, wonderful individuals to give India her first Wild Anthem. Hopefully people will appreciate this effort and join our tribe to help keep India Forever Wild!!!”.

Devraj Sanyal, MD & CEO, Universal Music Group India and SouthAsia said,“At Universal Music Group, we take `giving back’ seriously whether it is to the community or nature and I strongly believe that musiccan play a huge role in this. We are proud to partner the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and my dear friend Dia Mirza to take this beautiful song to the world. Sung by my closest buds Vishal, Shreya, Sunidhi & Benny, this Wild Anthem was sorely needed, especially for the next generation who will lead the charge for conservation of our country’s natural beauty. My teams and I are committed to this cause and we will ensure that the beautiful message of this project travels far and wide across our country through the song “Mere Desh Ki Zameen”.

Our country India, is home to the most beautiful diversity of flora and fauna. The largest number of Asiatic Lions, Tigers and Asian Elephants that are found in the world reside here, and from our mountains and rivers to our forests and plains, we boast of an ecological diversity that is rare and distinct. Our plants, animals and landscapes all have a rich history and cultural relevance that have influenced our way of life since early. It is imperative that we continue to cherish the beauty of our wild and fight to preserve it for the generations to come. 

“Mere Desh Ki Zameen” is out now across all digital services exclusively on UMG

About Wildlife Trust of India (WTI):

Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) is a leading Indian nature conservation organisation committed to the service of nature since the last 20 years.With a mission to conserve wildlife and its habitat and to work for the welfare of individual wild animals, in partnership with communities and governments. WTI’s team of around 150 professionals work on several conservation projects across the country. Through these, they endeavor to achieve their Vision of a secure natural heritage of India.

About Universal Music India:

Universal Music India Pvt. Ltd. (UMIPL) is a 100% subsidiary of the Universal Music Group (UMG) and is home to record labels such as A&M Records, Blue Note Records, Capitol Records, Capitol Records Nashville, Caroline, Decca, Def Jam Recordings, Deutsche Grammophone, Emarcy, Geffen Records, Interscope Records, Island Records, Machete Music, MCA Nashville, Mercury Records, Motown Records, Polydor Records, Republic Records, Universal Music Latino, Verve Music Group, Virgin Records, Virgin EMI Records.

UMIPL has an extremely rich Indian catalogue comprising songs from classic Hindi and Regional Films, IndiPop, Bhangra, Ghazals and Devotional. It’s enviable catalogue includes artistes such as Asha Bhosle, Anup Jalota, Bombay Vikings, Jagjit Singh, JoSh, Malkit Singh, Pankaj Udhas, Panjabi MC, Raghav, Mohit Chouhan, Euphoria, Adnan Sami, Rabbi Shergill, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan to name a few. UMIPL’s `film’ catalogue (the 2nd largest in India) spans music from blockbusters such as Sholay, Qurbani, Amar Akbar Anthony, ChoriChoriChupkeChupke, Devdas and Munnabhai MBBS amongst the numerous jewels which symbolize the musical journey from the 70’s to date. On the International music front, UMIPL are the clear market leaders with artistes such as ABBA, Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams, Enrique Iglesias, Eminem, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, The Beatles, UB40, Deep Purple, Enigma, Norah Jones, Deadmau5, The Chemical Brothers, amongst host of others, popular music icons and household names in India.

Love Sonia gets rave reviews at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne

Love Sonia continues its winning streak with an opening night at Indian Film Festival of Melbourne last night.

After the success of its premiere in UK, the Melbourne screening received standing ovation as well. Director Tabrez Noorani was present with his leading ladies Mrunal Thakur, Richa Chadha  and Freida Pinto and was lauded for making a ‘heart wrenching, hard hitting and disturbingly moving’ film as mentioned by most audience members present for the screening.

The film which is a hard-hitting story of a 17 year old girl who risks her life to rescue her sister from the sex trade is shot in India, Hong Kong and Los Angeles.

The film has a strong ensemble cast including Freida Pinto, Manoj Bajpayee, Rajkummar Rao, Richa Chadha, Anupam Kher, Adil Hussain, Sai Tamhankar, Sunny Parwar, Demi Moore, Mark Duplass, Noorani is introducing Mrunal Thakur as the lead character, as well as Riya Sisodiya.

Director Tabrez Noorani says, "It’s exciting and such a privilege to bring Love Sonia to the Indian Film Festival Of Melbourne. We hope the movie resonates with audiences here as it has in London and I look forward to being able to interact with the audience here on the opening night."

Producer David Womark shares, "Both Tabrez and I are proud to have Love Sonia opening the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. Ang Lee has said that when there is a strong woman character in a story--it always grabs him. We are very fortunate in Love Sonia to tell the powerful story of a strong woman’s journey.”

Co-Producer Amar Butala said, "After a standing ovation in London, I am extremely happy that Love Sonia has opened another prestigious festival and has again been loved by the audience. We are now gearing up after London and Melbourne to bring the film back home, to India.”

After watching Love Sonia at IFFM 2018 last night filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani expressed, “The most disturbing film I have ever seen in life and I am saying it in a good way. It requires tremendous courage and empathy to do this, Big salute to the entire team of Love Sonia.”

After watching Love Sonia Actor Vicky Kaushal shared, “Stunned and shocked and so moved after watching Love Sonia. Its one of those rare movie experiences where you don’t wish to break the illusion that it was a film you were watching after you are done with it. Every moment, every performance is as real as it can get. Kudos to Tabrez for his brilliant research and direction and to each and every actor in the film.

Love Sonia is scheduled to release in India in September.

Rani Mukerji, Rajkumar Hirani, Freida Pinto, Richa Chadha, Ali Fazal, Vicky Kaushal kick off the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne

The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne has officially begun, and the first event of the festival is the opening press conference that took place this morning at Melbourne’s central business district. IFFM, the award winning largest film festival in the southern hemisphere kicked off the festivities by bringing all the actors and the Minister of arts and culture, Martin Foley to announce the start of the festival.

Mitu Bhowmick Lange, director of the festival introduced all the actors present at the press conference. They were Rani Mukerji, Freida Pinto, Richa Chadha, Ali Fazal, Rajkumar Hirani, Vicky Kaushal, Abhijaat Joshi, Mrunal Thakur and comedian Saadiya Ali.

Rani Mukerji spoke about being the guest of honour and what coming to the festival means to her, “I’m really happy to be here representing my country, my film and my fraternity. A big Thank you to the Victorian government for supporting the Indian film fraternity The Indian film fraternity is so diverse, So many languages and cultures so it’s great to see films from various cultures under one roof. I thank Mitu inviting me. And  this trip is special because I’m coming here with my daughter. It’s the first time she’s seeing Melbourne”

Freida Pinto who has done magnificent work internationally not just in Film and music but also with her humanitarian efforts added on about the premiere of her next Love Sonia and said, “Love Sonia gives you a glimpse into the world of oval sex trafficking But it still doesn’t show the entire world of it. Also we didn’t want to make a gratuitous film. At the end of the day we want people to to understand the sense of what really happens in this part of the world and how much of it is kept away from us. So as an artist when you get an Opportunity to be part of such a film That can raise a global conversation, it’s fun to adapt to the character but it’s also but More than that you’re raising a very important topic which will leave the audiences with something to ponder on”.

Speaking about his attendance and his film Sanju being a part of the festival, director Rajkumar Hirani said, “Mitu is an inspiration for many. She’s always been kind to have me here and I’m looking to IFFM. Australia is a great country and with Melbourne being such an amazing city, I’m looking forward to meeting people here”.

The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne will go on from the 10th of August to the 22nd August in Melbourne, Australia. The festival will screen over 60 films from all across India and the subcontinent in over 22 languages. Film lovers will get to interact with their favourite actors, directors and writers at the festival in event like Panel Discussions and Q&As post the screening.

The festival has become an integral part of Melbourne’s cultural calendar promoting Indian cinema and allowing Australians to take in all that the film industry has to offer.

Jawaharlal Nehru's Tryst with Destiny speech

71 years after India gained independence, the ideas put forth by some of the most enterprising leaders remain both relevant, and important for understanding the story of independent India. EPIC Channel presents “Bharat Ki Awaaz” series that showcase India’s most iconic and independent voices that literally moved a nation.

[Speech delivered in the Constituent Assembly, New Delhi, August 14, 1947, on the eve of the attainment of Independence]

"Long years ago, we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance.

It is fitting that at this solemn moment, we take the pledge of dedication to the service of India and her people and to the still larger cause of humanity. At the dawn of history, India started on her unending quest, and trackless centuries are filled with her striving and the grandeur of her success and her failures. Through good and ill fortune alike, she has never lost sight of that quest or forgotten the ideals which gave her strength. We end today a period of ill fortune, and India discovers herself again. The achievement we celebrate today is but a step, an opening of opportunity, to the greater triumphs and achievements that await us. Are we brave enough and wise enough to grasp this opportunity and accept the challenge of the future?

Freedom and power bring responsibility. The responsibility rests upon this Assembly, a sovereign body representing the sovereign people of India. Before the birth of freedom, we have endured all the pains of labour, and our hearts are heavy with the memory of this sorrow. Some of those pains continue even now. Nevertheless, the past is over, and it is the future that beckons to us now.

That future is not one of ease or resting but of incessant striving so that we may fulfil the pledges we have so often taken and the one we shall take today. The service of India means the service of the millions who suffer. It means the ending of poverty and ignorance and disease and inequality of opportunity. The ambition of the greatest man of our generation has been to wipe every tear from every eye. That may be beyond us, but as long as there are tears and suffering, so long our work will not be over.

And so, we have to labour and to work, and work hard, to give reality to our dreams. Those dreams are for India, but they are also for the world, for all the nations and peoples are too closely knit together today for any one of them to imagine that it can live apart. Peace has been said to be indivisible; so is freedom, so is prosperity now, and so also is disaster in this one world that can no longer be split into isolated fragments.

To the people of India, whose representatives we are, we make an appeal to join us with faith and confidence in this great adventure. This is no time for petty and destructive criticism, no time for ill-will or blaming others. We have to build the noble mansion of free India where all her children may dwell."

The speech was delivered to the Constituent Assembly of India in New Delhi on August 14th 1947 and EPIC will run the speech along with important unknown facts 71 years later on EPIC Channel on 15th August at 10 pm.

Sonu Sood’s tryst with Marathi for Simmba

Sonu Sood, who is eagerly anticipating the release of his forthcoming war drama, J P Dutta’s PALTAN, will be seen playing an antagonist in Rohit Shetty’s Simmba alongside Ranveer Singh.

The big-ticket flick will not just witness Sonu perform heavy-duty action scenes, but the fitness enthusiast will also recite Marathi dialogues in the movie for the first time!

In order to speak Marathi fluently for his role, Sonu will learn the language and work on his accent. Accordingly, he has got the best Marathi tutor to help him learn the diction and nuances.

A source says, “Sonu, who has proved his mettle as an actor not just in Bollywood but also South industry including Tamil, Telugu and Kannada language films, is fond of learning new languages and so he specially hired a tutor to help him master and gain command over the language.”

“Sonu will be working closely with the Marathi tutor on the set and also interact with the Maharashtrian crew in Marathi. Not to forget that Sonu rejected an offer to star in a Marathi film sometime back since he was not well-versed with the language,” the source adds.

Sonu informs, “It’s a role I’m quite excited to portray. Since my character has to mouth couple of dialogues in Marathi, I need to get the right accent and body language to make it appear relatable and interesting. I had learnt Tamil and Telugu before working in films from the respective film industries. Similarly, I'm looking forward to learn Marathi for Simmba.”